


The Fortunate One

by Inspire



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Gen, Rare Pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-28
Updated: 2009-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-03 22:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inspire/pseuds/Inspire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fleur thinks it is time someone took proper care of Percy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fortunate One

**Author's Note:**

> Percy and Fleur are both widowed.  
> Written for The Rare Pair Shorts Number Game Ficathon on Livejournal.

Percy's wife was the perfect companion and mother for his children. He'd felt extremely fortunate that at age thirty-five, he'd finally been blessed with the kind of comfort his parents, brothers and sister all seemed to enjoy with their significant others, or in the comfort of bachelorhood in Charlie's case. In fact, Percy had nearly resigned himself to sharing the role of bachelor brother with Charlie, when he met and fell in love with the Muggle-born Audrey Bailey.

Another stickler for the rules, Audrey had been perfect for the fastidious Percy. She saw to it that he got plenty of sleep, ample exercise, ate healthy meals, and spent the appropriate amount of time at the office to show he was serious about his work, but not so much that he neglected his family. Audrey's penchant for rules was especially evident in those that applied to their family. His wife had borne him two beautiful daughters, little Molly and Lucy. Percy's girls, as he referred to his wife and daughters, were the lights of his life. Time with his family was no sacrifice for Percy. He loved his girls with all his heart.

Then one day it all changed.

Percy had taken little Molly and Lucy to the Burrow for a cousin's birthday party. Audrey had gone to have lunch with her Muggle mum. The two women had been driving back from the restaurant when a lorry failed to stop for a traffic signal and plowed straight into them. Neither woman survived.

Without his wife, Percy floundered.

Percy's mum immediately took charge and tried to help but his mum's ways weren't Audrey's. Percy had never been completely comfortable living the wild, noisy, chaotic way of his large family. Molly Weasley meant well, but for all that she was a good mother, she wasn't what Percy needed, or wanted, managing his home and raising his children. After several months as a widower, his wonderfully behaved daughters were turning loud and demanding, his well organized and spotlessly kept home wasn't really a mess but it was starting to look shabby and cluttered. Worst of all, Percy Weasley was nearing his breaking point. He had no idea how to tell his mother that he wasn't really comfortable with her help. Percy thought it would be better for all of them if he hired a nanny and a housekeeper.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

One day, instead of his mother Flooing into his cottage to get breakfast and handle the girls, his sister-in-law Fleur appeared on the scene. She'd been close to his wife, Audrey, and often visited her, so she knew that the chaos she was seeing was not what Percy and his girls were used to at all. Living in this state, she thought it no wonder that Percy's girls had seemed so out of control at the Burrow last Sunday when the family came to together for their monthly brunch. Fleur explained to Percy that his mother had caught a bug that Pepper-Up couldn't handle and wouldn't be there today, but she would look after his girls herself. Percy gratefully accepted both her help and the nutritious porridge and fruit Fleur set before him in place of his mother's greasy fry-ups. His girls were soon happily eating as well instead of playing with their food. Fleur had used honey to make faces on top of their porridge just like their mum used to do. For the two girls it was breakfast fit for princesses.

Having enjoyed a healthy, warm, delicious breakfast, Percy felt much better facing his day. With Fleur's help, he'd actually made it out of the door at the time he preferred, which meant that Percy Weasley was exactly ten minutes early, giving him enough time to organize his day before he had to get started. It was the first time since he'd lost Audrey that he'd had those extra ten minutes. He'd missed them. It was also the first time since he'd lost Audrey that he hadn't felt rushed or pressured to catch up all day. Not feeling rushed, also meant that for the first time since he'd lost Audrey, Percy had an extra five minutes at the end of the day to place things away just so in order to start off well tomorrow. He left the office in time to be home by seven o'clock. If there was a small sense of dread that he'd be coming home to children who should have been fed already but were allowed instead to wait for their father, he tried to ignore it.

Percy walked through the door at seven sharp and for a moment thought perhaps he'd entered the wrong house. His home had not been this clean or this quiet in months. He hung his cloak and started toward the kitchen. He changed course when he heard throaty tones coming from the hallway down near the girls' room.

"You must 'elp your papa, mes petites. Zis means zat you will pick up your toys after dinner. Even better, zat you should put zem away right after you are done playing. Zis way you will not 'ave so very much to do all at once, yes?" Fleur smiled encouragement, "Zat is very good, Lucy. You are a wonderful 'elp. Molly, I like ze way you 'elp your seester with ze bear zat is too big for 'er. Zat is exactly what a big seester should do. I am very proud of both of you. Your papa will be so pleased."

"Indeed, he will. Good evening, girls," Percy said as he bent as 7 year-old Molly and 4 year-old Lucy flew into his arms, screeching.

"Molly? Lucy? What did we discuss today about ze kind of voice young ladies use inside ze 'ouse?"

Both girls looked abashed, "We use inside voices, Auntie Fleur."

"Yes, you do. You may hug your papa without so much noise. 'e will still know zat you love 'im. Now, per'aps you both should wash up and give your papa a chance to do ze same. Zen you may 'ave your pudding while 'e and I eat our dinner." Fleur waved them off, "Use ze soap and do it properly. If not, I will only make you do it again." When the girls were gone she turned to Percy and kissed her brother-in-law's cheek. "I theenk zat you should wash up too. You could use a good meal. I have made your favorites, roasted chicken and steamed vegetables. It is time someone took proper care of you. I theenk I will explain to your mozzer zat I do not 'ave enough theengs to do now zat ze children are all gone and zat 'elping you will keep me occupied." Fleur waved Percy off to clean up, much as she had the girls. When Percy looked back from the doorway to the bathroom, he found his brother Bill's widow looking back at him and giving him a wink and a smile before she floated off. Floated off to what Percy was absolutely sure was a well-ordered and spotless kitchen.

He'd felt extremely fortunate that at age forty-two, he been blessed with a widowed sister-in-law with time on her hands and the willingness to help out her recently widowed brother-in-law. And if at age fifty-five, Percy Weasley again became fortunate enough to marry, no one really thought it odd that it was to his former sister-in-law. After all, she had helped him raise two beautiful girls, saw to it that he got plenty of sleep, ample exercise, ate healthy meals, and spent the appropriate amount of time at the office to show he was serious about his work, but not so much that he neglected his family.


End file.
